Write to feel right…..

Therapeutic writing is very widely used form of self help. Writing is a form of expression and any form of expression helps us to manage and deal with our emotions. When faced with issues and problems in life, it can be very easy for our thoughts to spiral, go round in circles and meander down some dark negative alleyways and as this happens, our emotions become engaged.

Our emotions can be very illogical and can multiply to make something relatively scalable into a huge mountain of despair. Writing our thoughts and feelings down not only allows us space to get things out but it also allows us time too. We write slower than our thoughts, hence we slow our thoughts down. Once they’re out, we think about them less and all of this helps us process to a deeper and more rational level. It is thought that writing will engage the logical side of our brain as putting letters in the formation of words in the formation of sentences means we have to engage that side. This automatically brings rationality and a balanced logic into the thoughts that may be affected by them whirling around on the emotional side of our brain.

If you were to experiment with writing to help manage your emotions and stressors, to gain greater self awareness and to make plans for your future, how would you do this? Many people would keep a diary; writing in it when appropriate. Often people stop keeping a diary of they miss a few days or even weeks, but your diary is Your diary, therefore if you feel a benefit from writing in it once a month, is it worth giving up on? Others will keep a note book and write the date in and write away and I use a password protected word document as I find that fits for me (possibly because my writing is shocking). There are journal apps and ultimately, you can use any area that’s writable to write when you feel the need. As with any way in which we look after ourselves, it’s important to do it in a way that fits for You. I invite you to experiment and leave a comment about your experience.